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Browning still trying to shed ‘bad boy’ image

Outlandish ‘TUF’ alum’s next opportunity to prove his skill comes Wednesday night vs. Miller

Browning

UFC

Junie Browning, top, earned his first career UFC win last December by submitting Dave Kaplan in the second round with an arm bar.

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Browning

Beyond the Sun

For all the second, third, and even fourth chances Junie Browning has received as a mixed martial artist, Wednesday’s showing at UFC Fight Night in Nashville may be the most important of his career.

The controversial fighter out of Kentucky basically begged to be removed from “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television series last summer after his behavior in the “TUF” house.

Among other antics, the 23-year-old spent the better part of the season heavily intoxicated, starting fights with other cast members and having to be restrained when he tried to climb over the cage in a fight he wasn't involved in. In short, Browning did everything but behave.

But whether it was because of his visible potential in the sport or his ability to spike viewer ratings, UFC president Dana White never made good on any of his threats to kick him out of the competition.

Now with the show over, however, Browning can't count on his entertaining personality to keep him in the sport forever. So when he steps into the ring against legitimate opponent Cole Miller on Wednesday at the Sommet Center, Browning says he knows what's at stake.

"I acted like a fool on TV, so of course I have more to prove," Browning said. "I think a lot of people think that I made it up when I said that I was out of shape on the show, but I really was.

“I think when they see these next few fights and the conditioning I have now they'll realize that it was just a show for me."

Although he has a 3-1 MMA record, it's no secret that critics believe Browning used “The Ultimate Fighter” series as his claim to fame and will never emerge as a standout performer. That perception has started to slowly change, especially when the fighter moved to Las Vegas to train at the highly respected Xtreme Couture gym under head trainer Shawn Tompkins last October.

Browning said he has also managed to stay out of trouble in the Las Vegas nightlife, no doubt benefiting from the influence of Tompkins, who insisted Browning move in with him when he first came here.

Still, it will take an impressive performance in his next few fights for Browning to shed his jokester reputation. Even Miller, who is returning for his first fight since knee surgery last July, said the contest is a step down from his usual competition.

"I think every fight there is an extra pressure for Junie Browning to perform," Tompkins said. "He's got people believing one thing about him and even though people have started to see his good side, he has to be very careful when he chooses his words.

“As a fighter, he's a wild card in the sense that I think he's underrated and he's going to be facing a real figure in Cole Miller. If he goes out and beats him, that throws him right in the mix and proves that he's dangerous."

Not everyone is expecting Browning to fail, even though Miller sports a 14-3 career mark. Before his behavior on the show, Browning was considered a fighter loaded with potential.

Browning says training in Las Vegas’ diverse fighting world, full of specialized gyms devoting themselves to every aspect of MMA, has helped mold him into a pro fighter.

Fellow pros, like Tyson Griffin and Gray Maynord have noticed Browning’s more mature attitude.

"The first couple weeks I think the guys were skeptical of me being here, which I can't blame them for," Browning said. "If I had just watched the show I wouldn't have wanted me to train here either. But it didn't take long for them to realize that's not how I really am.

“Now they just laugh about it. A lot of people take it too seriously -- it's just a television show."

It's that mentality that has kept Browning from feeling too worried about the bad rep he gained from the show. As far as he's concerned, he was there to make an entertaining television show. And he succeeded.

"I'm excited for it to come out on DVD, I'm gonna watch it all the time," Browning said. "I thought it was awesome. At the premiere, for the first few episodes, I was at Hooters and there were tons of people from my hometown packed in there.

“Most of those people know how I really am and they thought it was hilarious. They knew before I went that was how I was gonna act. I acted like a fool and there's nothing I can do about it now."

Well, not until Wednesday night.

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